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In Tyler, Texas, an up-and-coming carwash chain brightly stands out among the competition. Gleaux Car Wash, with its retro-feeling orange and white logo standing proudly on S. Broadway Ave., has a marquee out front of the express carwash site that reads, “We pronounce it glow.” And, the whimsical and upbeat atmosphere the Gleaux team created when it opened its first carwash location in the fall of 2019 doesn’t stop at the sign out front. The same energy trickles down to every smiling face that helps customers along their wash journeys at Gleaux Car Wash.
With an aspiration of creating a community reputation of unparalleled customer experience that provides “Good. Clean. Fun!,” as the company’s motto states, the masterminds behind Gleaux Car Wash created a special wash experience for their East Texas community.
Like many modern carwashes, Gleaux Car Wash’s leadership team understands that the carwash business has just as much to do with customer service as it has to do with washing vehicles. The workplace is lighthearted — as revealed by the company’s official titles. For instance, Dawson Barksdale is Gleaux Car Wash’s Chief of Shine; David Grasch, a 15-year industry veteran, is the company’s Duke of Clean.
Barksdale and Grasch, the leaders of Gleaux, have created a unique business, especially from a human resources perspective.
“I think the thing we do most different is the way we hire staff,” reveals Barksdale when asked what sets Gleaux Car Wash apart from other carwash chains. Gleaux’s Chief of Shine and Duke of Clean know that hiring the right people for their customers — and keeping their employees happy — is ultimately one of the most important aspects of running a successful carwash.
Barksdale explains, “The teams that we have … the people that we hire … the way that we treat them … we want them to have a great experience as well. They represent us to the public. Our mission is to create the best human experience in the industry.”
It is safe to say Gleaux Car Wash is on its way to creating an unmatched human experience in carwashing, especially when it comes to team members. In fact, Gleaux leadership requested that star team members get a shoutout in this article. Barksdale notes employees Nyc, Sarah and Andrew for being especially integral to the carwash chain’s success.
While, of course, a carwash likely won’t be successful without investments in leading equipment, chemicals and technologies, there is one other area where the Gleaux team excels and is passionate about.
The carwash’s customer service attendees, or guest service coordinators as the company labels them, may stick out the most to Gleaux Car Wash’s customers. Guests, which is how the Gleaux team refers to customers, most likely don’t know — or even care for that matter — how the mechanics of a carwash operate. As long as guests’ vehicles are properly clean, dry and shiny at the end of the wash, Barksdale believes a fantastic employee interaction is the most important factor of repeat visits and guest loyalty.
“We want people to have that great experience through our team,” says Barksdale. “If we put out a good product and create a great experience in between for the guests coming through, then they will have a better experience and [we will] hopefully build some loyalty through it.”
For loyal customers, Gleaux offers a membership program, or the VIP Club as noted on gleauxcarwash.com. Guests interested in the VIP Club can choose between the Clean, Shine, Polish or Gleaux packages, which have a monthly cost of $14, $24, $44 and $54 respectably. All washes come with an undercarriage blast and typical cleaner application, but the higher level packages come with such services as rain defender, tire glaze and what Gleaux refers to as the “Secret Gleaux Sauce,” which is a “proprietary chemical we use to make your car extra shiny,” according to Gleaux Car Wash’s website.
Gleaux Car Wash also partners with other local businesses in the Tyler community to provide discounts at participating businesses. Among Gleaux’s business partners are coffee shops, spas and restaurants, which all offer special discounts to VIP members.
A glowing wash
While Gleaux Car Wash takes pride in its team members and customer experience, by no means does it cut corners when designing and developing the wash’s tunnels. According to Barksdale, the carwash chain invests in all the modern, leading technology this industry offers.
The wash’s tunnels are filled with leading carwash equipment manufactured by National Carwash Solutions (NCS), innovative pay stations, and LEDs supplied and installed from multiple carwash industry lighting brands. Simply put, Gleaux Car Wash locations are home to impressive carwashing technology. NCS specifically has helped Gleaux successfully grow the brand from a single site to now three locations, with two sites opening in 2022 and an additional five sites currently in active negotiations. “I think everything we use at this point is NCS-branded [equipment],” Barksdale says.
As expected with a company name like “Gleaux,”lighting has always been important to the carwash chain’s Chief of Shine and Duke of Clean. If there is a part of the building or any equipment that can feasibly have lights on it, the Gleaux team, in collaboration with industry partners, wants lights on it.
“We want it to glow,” Barksdale insists. “We want you to be able to see us from outer space.”
Considering Gleaux Car Wash is open after the sun goes down — one location even operates until 8 p.m. — having spectacular lighting is a good way to catch potential customers’ eyes from the road.
With bright LEDs that illuminate the multiple rows of self-serve vacuum stations, large letters that spell out “CAR WASH” in dazzling, vivid lights on the side of the tunnel and purple, blue, pink and green lights flashing in the tunnel, these carwash sites absolutely glow at night.
An aura of kindness and success
As previously stated, carwash owners and operators are in a unique business position where they can directly impact their communities every day they are in operation by providing outstanding customer service. And while this is important to Gleaux team members, their work goes beyond just helping guests at the carwash. Gleaux wants to be part of the greater community, and all of humankind, in a way that is beneficial and makes an impact.
“We want to give everybody a good chance to be successful,” notes Barksdale. “So, anything we can do to help support them, we want to do it.” Gleaux supports its community in several notable ways. From hosting fundraisers and pet adoptions to implementing environmentally friendly carwash initiatives, such as water reclaim, leadership is ensuring that Gleaux Car Wash is a good, altruistic staple in the Tyler community.
When the first Gleaux Car Wash location opened in October 2019, leadership, like the rest of the world, had no idea their business was about to be turned upside down by a global pandemic. Once COVID-19 hit and the dust finally began to settle, Gleaux decided to use its platform in the community to help Tyler’s smallest members — dogs looking for families.
Barksdale fondly reflects on the event Gleaux hosted in partnership with the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of East Texas, where they facilitated awareness for the amount of dogs that were going unadopted throughout the pandemic. The SPCA was overflowing with available dogs to adopt and Gleaux aimed to help, which fits especially well with the S. Broadway Ave. location that also has a pet wash for guest use.
Besides helping local dogs find loving homes, Gleaux also is passionate about helping the next generation. It often sponsors local youth sports teams and schools, and has a special relationship with the Mentoring Alliance, which provides after-school care and tutoring to at-risk youth. Barksdale says, “We work closely with them and do a lot of activities and community involvement for the kids.”
Barksdale also explains that organizing fundraisers is easy with help from its industry partners. For example, working with its point-of-sale system provider, Gleaux can simply add a button on the touch screen so guests can flag that they came to get the carwash in support of the fundraiser. As a result, the team can easily see the amount of people supporting the cause and take off whatever predetermined percentage they pledged to donate from sales during the charity event.
In recent years, the carwash industry has gained more express exterior sites, focused on speed and low labor. While the express carwash model has the tempting potential to become one that requires no human interaction, many owners of fast-growing chains, such as Gleaux’s Barksdale, know that drivers still want that human connection found at a full-serve carwash.
“[The guest experience] continues to give a better reputation to this industry and that’s something I’m proud of,” concludes Barksdale.
Gleaux Car Wash is a glowing example of maintaining the human experience aspect of carwashing, while consistently delivering quality wash results.
National Carwash Solutions is your premier partner for full-service fluids and systems to the vehicle care industry, serving car wash operators for more than 45 years, and washing millions of vehicles every year. We’re proud to offer an end-to-end customer service and support network, including service, parts, and environmentally friendly cleaning fluids. NCS operates an industry-leading family of brands including MacNeil, Ryko, NCS Chemistry by CSI, Vacutech, Carolina Pride, Mondo, and NCS Vehicle Care. Our capabilities allow us to scale with you, making us an ideal partner for your car wash business.


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Industrial units being built to pull in business.
Nine new industrial units will be built on land in Wyre Forest, council bosses have announced.
The site, next to the Hoobrook Enterprise Centre, has been vacant since the construction of the Hoobrook Link Road, Silverwoods Way.
But Wyre Forest District Council has now appointed Construction and Fit Out Solutions (CAFOS) from Birmingham to construct the new units.
The news comes after an announcement last week that Bromsgrove-based firm Barton Firtop is also planning to build a 60,000 square foot plant for the expansion of its filtration products business on the Silverwoods site.
Mike Parker, corporate director for economic prosperity at Wyre Forest District Council, said: "The council continues to invest in new space to enable our businesses to grow and the new units it has planned as an extension to the Hoobrook Enterprise Centre will complement the recent announcement of the expansion of the business start up and incubator space at Forest House."
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|Publication:||Express and Star (Wolverhampton, England)|
|Date:||May 1, 2019|
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Hardware startup program Bolt ditches accelerator-like traits
Bolt founder Ben Einstein has never described the Boston program for hardware startups as an accelerator. But in the first session of the program, Einstein found Bolt was still borrowing a bit too much from the typical software accelerator model.
For instance, the initial application to Bolt was due on a particular day, and the program had a fixed start date and end date for its six-month session.
But that inflexibility doesn't make sense for most hardware startups, which aren't necessarily ready to join a program at one specific time of the year, Einstein said.
"The companies are really at all different stages — much more so than the software space," he said. "There's a big difference between a company that is ready to do prototypes and one that is not there yet."
The first session of Bolt has included seven companies — ranging from consumer electronics to robotics to medical devices — and is hitting that six-month end date this week. The first member of the cohort announced funding on Tuesday, Petnet, a maker of an "intelligent pet feeder" that raised $1.1 million.
Bolt is now adding companies on a rolling basis, enabling the program to work with companies at any time of the year, Einstein said. Bolt recently added its eighth company, Cambridge startup Sage Devices, he noted.
The program is still letting its companies to stay at its space in Boston for six months, though some may be allow to stay longer, Einstein said.
Bolt is also seeking to get the word out that it welcomes companies that have already raised funding. Hardware startups that have raised funding often run into the same issues as those without funding, Einstein said — namely, the challenges around getting to manufacturing.
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M.I. Hummel operations open in Bordentown
Oct 30, 2014 03:44PM, Published by Lexie Yearly, Categories: Community
The M.I. Hummel company produces porcleain figurines. The company was previously in Pennington and Mercerville.
In October 2013, the parent company Manufaktur Rodental had become insolvent and closed the U.S. operations of M.I. Hummel, the porcelain figurine company. Now, M.I. Hummel company is back in business in the U.S. The resurgence of the company became official on June 2, when it was bought by Newboden Brands.
The company re-established its North American headquarters in central New Jersey, relocating its office to Bordentown. M.I. Hummel had previously been located in Pennington, before it moved its operations to Mercerville in 2010. Newboden Brands was formed by Ken LeFevre and Chuck Harley, who each have about 35 years of experience in the Hummel world.
It is now the sole distributor of M.I. Hummel figurines in North America and also the owner and operator of the M.I. Hummel Club and HummelGifts.com. All of the Hummel figurines are made in a factory in Germany and shipped to the U.S.
The U.S. actually has a larger demand for Hummel products than Europe does, said Newboden Brands managing director Karen DeBow. The M.I. Hummel porcelain figurines, which were inspired by the artwork of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, are popular collectibles, and DeBow noted that the M.I. Hummel Club is the largest and oldest collectibles club in the U.S.
When the Mercerville operations closed last year, club members—which numbered nearly 40,000—were left in the dark, with no word of what had happened or the future state of the operations.
Since the club’s restoration, DeBow said there has been a huge outpouring of support from its members. DeBow said that resubscription material was mailed to all 40,000 former members at once, and since then the office has received as many as 850 calls a day from excited patrons.
“People call sometimes even to chat,” said DeBow, who is a Bordentown native. “Even though there’s so many club members, a lot of them are very passionate.”
Many of the former M.I. Hummel employees were also brought back to work again once the operations were re-established. About 12-14 part-time and fulltime employees work out of the new Bordentown office, located on Third Street in Bordentown City.
“It’s exciting that we’re back, and that we’re in Bordentown making an impact,” DeBow said. “We’re small but mighty.”
For more information about M.I. Hummel, call (609) 400-1647 or go online to hummelgifts.com.
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EA Sports has released the first look at the upcoming Fight Night Champion, and it's full of sweat, bloody lips, and drama.
I'll admit, when EA Sports' Andrew Wilson took to the stage during Microsoft's Xbox One reveal, I tuned out. If memory serves, I used the opportunity to take a much needed trip to the bathroom because I was certain there would be nothing there to hold my interest. I was wrong. Hopefully, it's not too late for us.more
Andrew Wilson got on stage to announce a partnership with Xbox One at the Xbox Reveal event today. First, he announced the lineup that will be coming to the system: Fifa 14, Madden 25, NBA Live 14, and UFC Championship. Fifa...more
At what point can we start calling this a trend? After McLaren of all companies hinted at an announcement during Microsoft's pre-E3 reveal event for the next Xbox, now we have EA Sports hyping up "the next generation of FIFA"...more


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The world consumes 1 million plastic shopping bags every minute and India’s plastics consumption is one of the highest in the world. It is a well known fact that plastic bags are an environmental disaster – they do not decompose naturally, they kill marine life, they clog drains and is one of the main causes of flooding, during monsoons especially, in coastal cities of India. Plastic waste piles up in the already overflowing landfills, and burning them produces bad carbon emissions which results in air pollution. So the harm effects of using more and more plastic are well established. Several cities and states have adopted the partial or total ban on plastic bags, as well. But, what has so far not been cracked is a viable alternative to plastic. It was this omnipresence of plastic that bothered Ashwath Hegde, a Mangalore-born NRI entrepreneur, who came back to India from Qatar last year after successfully finding a solution to plastic carry bags.
Today, he has supplied around 150 metric tonnes of goods made by his factory named EnviGreen in India as an alternative to different kinds of plastic products, from packaging material, plastic carry bags to aprons, there are many more products that have been made from the alternatives. Through these products,EnviGreen has efficiently reduced some 160 metric tonnes of plastic waste.
Make Way, The Future Of Plastics Is Here
The idea of doing something like this came to my mind back in 2012, when the Mangalore City Corporation implemented a ban on the manufacture, sale, and distribution of plastic bags. It was a good step, but, was done without any preparation. I thought I will help people by giving them eco-friendly cloth bags. I distributed some 25,000 bags and was taken aback with questions of local shopkeepers – one asked me how you expect me to sell the fish in your bag, another one asked me, I sell sugar and my profit is Rs. 1, how do you think I will afford a carry bag worth Rs. 15? That’s when I decided to come up with an alternative solutions, says 26-year-old, Ashwath Hegde.
What happened next was his company EnviGreen which was founded in 2016, after 4 years of research on finding eco-friendly solutions to plastics. Today, the company is efficiently producing 100% organic, biodegradable, and environmental-friendly products.
A Look-A-Like Of Plastic Bags But Can Become Animal Food On Disposal
“During the 4 years of my research which I did along with many of my European friends where the concept of eco-friendly was known to great extent, I devolved my research based team of scientists who can dedicatedly work on the projects. The team used to do various experiments; they only give me an idea of using natural starches for making these products and I started manufacturing these products using different types of machines afterwards,” explains Ashwath.
Talking about the ingredients used in these edible products, Ashwath added, “We are using all sorts of natural starches that are easily available in the market for example, banana and potato peels. The idea is to simply make something that our planet can eat.”
These look-a-likes of plastic bags if placed in a glass of water can get dissolved in a days’ time and if burnt then will produce just Co2 and ashes and no other harmful toxic gases. Adding on to the benefits, the bags take less than 180 days to biodegrade naturally once discarded. The bags are even edible and will cause no harm to animals if ingested.
First all the raw materials are converted into liquid form and small eco-friendly pellets and then processed in different types of machines to produce various products, added Ashwath.
The products are sans chemicals; even the paint used for printing on the bags is natural and organic. Coming to the cost of one EnviGreen bag, Ashwath says, “It is about 35-40% more than that of a plastic bag, but, is currently the cheapest alternative available in India to plastics.”
The EnviGreen products have been tested by the Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and have been certified as ‘safe products’ for the environment.
The Future Of Green India
EnviGreen bags are the best available solution for green and Swachh India, especially when our country is struggling with tackling its waste. Currently, the products are available in the Mangalore city alone, within the span of few months; Ashwath aims to set up enough manufacturing facilities across the country to make these bags and products, India’s solution to fight its plastic woes.
If a city adopts 100% of EnviGreen bags then the city can easily achieve its target of swachhta. Next month, we have a aim to produce 1000 metric tonnes of EnviGreen bags, this will help us reduce around 12,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste in a year from our country, said Ashwath.
Talking about the future, Ashwath, added, “Currently we are not looking at the collection of organic waste like potato and banana peels, in our next step, we will be to go to the farmers and collect waste from them.”
Let’s Kill Plastic Before It Kills Us!
I come from an agricultural based family, for me, environment is a priority. That’s should be the case with everyone. These products will be making a huge impact, but, it’s just not my efforts that will count, as a user, people need to come forward and get aware about the ill effects of plastics and should try and find out alternatives. Once we crack this, we will become a Swachh nation, signs off waste warrior, Ashwath Hegde.
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NOVATO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Marin Mountain Bikes Inc. has hired industry veterans Nikki Tufte and Michael Larson as sales representatives in two Midwestern territories.
PORTLAND, Ore. (BRAIN) — Echos Communications is now serving as the North American public relations agency of record for Castelli USA and Sportful.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BRAIN) — The state of Arkansas has signed into law a new electric bicycle bill, HB 2185, making it the fifth state in the U.S., after California, Utah, Tennessee and Colorado, to pass e-bike legislation modeled after a pioneering California measure to create three classes of e-bikes.
DENVER (BRAIN) — With two big mergers announced this week, the ski resort industry will soon be dominated by two huge companies.
EMMAUS, Pa. (BRAIN) — Rodale Inc. has named Leah Flickinger as editor-in-chief of Bicycling. Flickinger will provide direction for all brand editorial platforms, including print, web and social channels.
DAYTON, Ohio (BRAIN) — Industry veteran Bruno Maier, most recently with RockyMounts, has taken a job at Huffy Corporation in Ohio. Maier previously worked for Huffy in the 1990s.
TAMPA, Fla. (BRAIN) — American Classic is planning a 35th anniversary celebration at next week's Sea Otter Classic, with cake, giveaways, discounts and a display of vintage American Classic parts on Saturday April 22 at 1 p.m. American Classic will be at booth #213 at the Sea Otter expo.
PORTLAND, Ore. (BRAIN) — Showers Pass has reached a multi-year partnership with the International Mountain Bicycling Association and its Trail Solutions team.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (BRAIN) — Todson is now distributing products from Flaér, a company that makes an automatic on-bike chain luber system.
VENICE, Calif. (BRAIN) — Cycling computer startup OMATA has hired Ezra Shaffer as its head of marketing and commerce. The hire comes as the company prepares to release its Kickstarter-funded analog GPS speedometer, the OMATA One, this summer.
BATH, U.K. (BRAIN) — Shift Active Media, which operates the Global Cycling Network and Global Mountain Bike Network YouTube channels, has hired Will Fripp as a brand director.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (BRAIN) — G-Form, known for its mountain bike protective gear, is getting into the baseball market with a line of protective gear and has announced a three-year partnership with the Boston Red Sox.
SAN MATEO, Calif. (BRAIN) — GoPro has introduced its first-ever trade-up program, offering U.S. consumers as much as $100 off a new HERO5 camera.
AMSTERDAM (BRAIN) — Accell Group announced Tuesday that it had received a takeover offer from Pon Holdings for 845 million euros ($895 million).
NAMPA, Idaho (BRAIN) — Deity has hired industry veteran Silas Hesterberg as its new global distribution and OE manager.
HELENA, Mont. (BRAIN) — A Montana House committee has removed an amendment that would have charged out-of-state bicycle riders a $25 fee — a proposal that might have been an April Fools joke.
MINNEAPOLIS (BRAIN) — Dero has moved to a new larger facilty with improved staff amenities.
GIRONA, Spain (BRAIN) — Ghost-Bikes, a German brand owned by Accell Group, is sponsoring three races in different disciplines at this year's Sea Otter Europe. The company is title sponsor of the event's MTB Marathon, International Cycling Tour and Enduro race in Riudarenes.
CARLSBAD, Calif. (BRAIN) — Factor Bikes has hired industry veterans Richard Wittenberg, Jon Kameen and Antoine Berte as the company prepares for global sales expansion. Wittenberg and his business development firm Lucidity will serve as managing director and provide U.S. logistics support.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BRAIN) — Giant Little Rock recently celebrated its grand opening, and the Giant and Liv dealer has designs on becoming a hub for Central Arkansas' booming cycling community and network of renowned trails.


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Rotary Club Members, Brian Coole, John Lindon, Ashton Lewis and Steph Lowe enjoy the Christmas festivities when bag packing at Shoprite Port Erin.
Members of the Rotary Club of Rushen & Western Mann, (Isle of Man), carried out a bag pack at the local store Shoprite Port Erin on Christmas Eve and raised £1,358 in support of various charities and good causes.
At Christmastime each year Rotary Club members are extended a welcome by Shoprite to assist customers at the store with packing their shopping and having a friendly chat in a bid to raise valuable funds.
The Rotary Club supports the local community in various ways, assisting at organised events, raising funds and donating monies to deserving worthy causes.
The Rotary Club wish to offer thanks to Shoprite for their ongoing support and a special thanks to all the generous customers who donated to the charity.
© Rotary News


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Known for its gaming systems, Razer has officially announced something “Big” coming up for its fans on November 1. The teaser marks the beginning of something new for Razer, who has been known only for its gaming laptops and hardware. The teaser was uploaded via a tweet and hints at the possibility of the launch of the company’s first smartphone.
According to Droid Life, the image consists of a person holding what looks like a smartphone. The image only comes with the text “Watch” with the November 1 reveal date. The image does show much else and makes it difficult to discern whether the company is going to announce a smartphone, a new tablet or something else with a screen. Since the keyword here is “Watch”, it could also be an entirely new video streaming service as well.
What we can expect is something made specifically for gamers, as Razer is known for making enthusiast grade gaming devices with impressive performance. While the company is also known for adding rainbow coloured LED lights into its devices, the company looks to be taking a different direction with its upcoming device.
The Verge suspects that Razer’s newest device could most likely be a phone as the company did acquire Nextbit recently, which put forth the question of when the company will be making its own handset. If the device is a phone, Razer will be making it gamer-centric but considering that the current standard for next-generation mobile graphics comes in the form of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835, Razer might be making its own custom chip or feature software optimizations for better gaming.
Razer may also be offering a way to stream games online in the form of a subscription service. Even Nextbit’s former CEO had tweeted something earlier on, which was as photo with a colleague who was sporting a device in his pocket with the Razer logo, hinting that we will most likely be seeing a new smartphone. All rumours also speculate that since the device will be a product of Razer, the company will find a way to include its Chroma LEDs somewhere in the design. It would be interesting to see Razer adapt the idea in the way that Sony did with their Xperia S.
Our speculation and anticipation will end only on November 1, as the company will be holding an official event to mark its newest release.


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Cathay Financial Holding Co (國泰金控) yesterday said it expects GDP growth next year to slow to 2 percent from 2.1 percent this year, as the expansion phase for the nation’s business cycle nears its conclusion in the absense of clear global growth catalysts.
“The nation’s business cycle is estimated to have entered its expansionary phase in October of 2015 and we are approaching the end of the growth period, which is predicted to last between 24 and 37 months,” said National Central University economics professor Hsu Chih-chiang (徐之強), who led the research team.
Much like other major markets such as the US, China and Europe, where the pace of growth has started to stabilize following a long expansionary period in their business cycles, Taiwan’s most recent expansion cycle has been tepid, Hsu said.
A slowdown in economic expansion would begin to take shape in the second half of this year, with quarterly growth predicted to fall to 0.58 percent between July and September and 0.46 percent in the last quarter of the year, Hsu said.
Despite the lack of a driver of growth, stable external demand, sound fundamental metrics and industrial indicators, as well as export volumes are still trending favorably and expected to sustain modest GDP growth next year, Hsu said.
Hsu added that the central bank is not likely to raise interest rates this year amid rising geopolitical tensions and with no sign of domestic overheating.
In addition, inflation is expected to reach 0.66 percent, markedly undershooting the government’s one percent target, he said, adding that a relatively benign typhoon season and a strengthening New Taiwan dollar have resulted in low inflation this year.
Meanwhile, economic growth would be dependent on whether the reshuffled Cabinet’s policies could produce a tangible stimulus, Hsu said.
Premier William Lai’s (賴清德) plans to pass a 3 percent pay raise for public-sector workers and his promise to bring flexibility to new labor rules would be helpful in boosting consumption and investment, he said.
“Economics is about emitting signals to draw the desired reactions from consumers and businesses, and positive changes such as to labor legislation should be made sooner rather than later,” said former National Development Council minister Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔), who is on the research team.
Still, that signal is not likely to be strong enough, Kuan said, adding that the wage hike would lead to a minimal increase in base income, as most public sector workers’ compensation includes supplementary items.
“A real shock is needed to jolt the economy back to life, such as bigger and consecutive public sector wage hikes,” Kuan said.
As for the private sector, businesses have already been through many rounds of rule changes that raised their commitments to pensions and health insurance, and they have little desire to raise salaries, Kuan said.
The nation has not seen a significant positive shock since the cross-strait trade talks on the goods and services industries in 2007, Kuan said, adding that Taiwan-China relations are a challenge that the ruling party cannot avoid.
ELECTRONICS Lite-On delays sale of unit Lite-On Technology Corp (光寶科技) yesterday said it would postpone the sale of its solid-state drives (SSD) business to Kioxia Holdings Corp, formerly known as Toshiba Memory Holdings Corp, due to disruptions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the Taiwan-based electronics components supplier struck the deal with the Japanese firm, agreeing to sell the unit for US$165 million. Citing unfinished integration work due to the pandemic, Lite-On has deferred today’s closing date until further notice, adding that the delay would not have a negative effect on the unit’s operations. AUTO PARTS Hiroca approves dividend Automotive interior parts supplier Hiroca
NOT ALL GOOD: Analysts warned that other data for last month might be less rosy due to the virus and analysts expect the PMI to contract again next month Chinese factory activity saw surprise growth last month as businesses went back to work following a lengthy shutdown, but analysts said that the economy faces a challenging recovery as external demand has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, while the World Bank said that growth could screech to a halt. China is slowly returning to life after months of tough restrictions aimed at containing the virus, which put millions of people into virtual house arrest and brought economic activity to a near standstill. The strict measures saw a closely watched gauge of manufacturing plunge to its lowest level on record in February,
ALL ABOUT STRATEGY: The company is optimistic, saying that its gross margin should increase year-on-year, but it is scaling back on its plans to expand capacity Quang Viet Enterprise Co (QVE, 廣越), which makes down jackets and garments for sportswear and outdoor brands including Adidas AG, yesterday said that revenue might drop 5 to 10 percent annually this year as some customers trimmed orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. That would mark its first revenue decline since 2016. Quang Viet posted record-high revenue of NT$16.26 billion (US$537.45 million) last year, up 22 percent from 2018. Down jackets made up 40 percent of it revenue last year. North Face Inc and Patagonia Inc are this year likely to reduce orders by 20 to 30 percent from a
Taipei 101, one of the nation’s leading shopping centers, is planning to reduce its business hours due to decreased demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Taipei 101 is to open daily at noon and close at 9pm from April 6, building management said in a statement on Monday. The shopping center has been opening at 11am and closing at 9:30pm from Sunday to Thursday, while closing at 10pm on Friday and Saturday. The restaurants in the food court — on the basement level — would adjust their business hours as necessary, but the supermarket would continue to open at 9am daily, management said. The shopping


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The Coast2Coast Rx card will allow county residents, regardless of income, age, or health status to save on their medications, county officials said. The card will be distributed free of charge and can be used at independent and franchise pharamacies.
There are no eligibility requirements for the program. If a drug is not covered under an individual's health plan, they can use the card to save on prescriptions. It can also save on dental, vision, veterinary, hearing, diabetic equipment, lab and imaging services, county officials said.
Commission President Joey Statum said the card will help residents who are struggling with medicine costs.
Other counties using the program include Jefferson, St. Clair, Calhoun, Shelby, Talladega, Montgomery and others.
The card will be available at most participating pharmacies, government offices, libraries and county health facilities. Residents can print out an Rx card, check prices and search for participating locations here. They may also call 1-800-931-8872.


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Apple has done a good job at keeping us all in the dark about the new iPhone 7. Many people have been skeptical about whether the new version will feature any dynamic upgrades or not. A recent leak, however, may suggest otherwise, hinting at some major upgrades you'll actually love.
September is just around the corner, which means Apple's new products are about to hit shelves. And here's the exciting news: it looks like you won't have to wait long. Apple has finally announced the iPhone 7's official release date.
If you just bought an iPhone 7, you may have jumped the gun. Everything I'm hearing about the iPhone 8 sounds pretty incredible! The latest rumor confirms there will be a premium version that comes with all the bells and whistles. Here are the features I'm most excited about.
Apple has a way of leaking specs and photos of upcoming iPhones months before they hit store shelves, or at least Apple fuels the flames of the rumor mill. Speculation over the iPhone SE 2 has been wild and fiery for the past few weeks.
We've got iPhone 7 leaked photos! Be the first to see them. With all these rumors circulating for months, it turns out some rumors were true. Click here to see the iPhone 7 and let us know what you think.
Wow! I've used an iPhone for years, but these new leaked photos of Samsung's Galaxy S8 look fantastic. If you're thinking about making the switch, or upgrading to a new smartphone, this is the first time we've seen photos of the entire device. I'll explain what these photos reveal about the Galaxy 8's expected features.
Apple rumors have been flying all year long about whether the iPhone 8 would make it to market on time. Now, it looks like we finally have the answer. But is it good news? Here’s when you can expect to see the iPhone 8 hit shelves.
iPhone 7 rumors are running rampant right now. That's because it's hitting store shelves in a few months. Now, the iPhone 7 design has been leaked and, if rumors are true, you may not like what you see.


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TechCrunch Mobility is a weekly e-newsletter devoted to all issues transportation. Enroll right here — simply click on TechCrunch Mobility — to obtain the e-newsletter each weekend in your inbox. Subscribe without cost.
Welcome again to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for information and insights on the way forward for transportation.
I spent just a few days in Austin for SXSW, the place I met with up founders and executives, caught just a few talks and even moderated two panels. Whereas generative AI was clearly the large attraction, the way forward for transportation nonetheless garnered consideration from traders, city planners, founders, companies and media. I heard quite a lot of conversations about how autonomous autos would match into cities in addition to debates over what expertise may assist alleviate visitors and cut back emissions.
I caught an attention-grabbing dialog between Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who predicted the corporate could be greener, extra inexpensive and problem Amazon sooner or later. These targets appear a bit extra attainable — and better on the precedence checklist — now that Uber has lastly ticked the profitability field.
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana was additionally at SXSW, the place she introduced the corporate will start providing a robotaxi service to the general public in Los Angeles this week and in Austin by the tip of the 12 months. Aspect word: we’re listening to the service in Austin will doubtless come someday this summer season. Maybe I will likely be again within the metropolis before anticipated!
Alrighty, let’s soar into the remainder of the information of the week!
Just a little fowl
EV startup Fisker has spent the previous few months courting dealerships in an effort to pivot away from a Tesla-style direct gross sales mannequin after struggling to promote half the automobiles it made in 2023.
It appeared the corporate had made some progress on that entrance. Nonetheless, a bit fowl informed us that one of many dozen-or-so dealerships it had signed up has already referred to as it quits. Fisker Ourisman, which was speculated to be the most recent extension of the Ourisman Automotive Group, has walked away from the startup and wiped the web site it set as much as promote Fisker’s Ocean SUV only one month after singing the deal.
The dealership loss comes because the Wall Road Journal reported Fisker employed exterior assist to contemplate a attainable chapter submitting.
It’s not instantly apparent if some other sellers have adopted go well with. Mike Domenicone, the owner-operator of Basic of Atlanta, stated he’s given greater than 150 check drives and offered out the primary cargo of Ocean SUVs at his new “Basic of Fisker” offshoot.
Received a tip for us? E mail Kirsten Korosec at firstname.lastname@example.org or Sean O’Kane email@example.com. Should you want to stay nameless, click on right here to contact us, which incorporates SecureDrop (directions right here) and numerous encrypted messaging apps.
Deal of the week
Should you’re searching for yet one more instance of investor enthusiasm for AI simply check out the most recent fundraise over at autonomous automobile software program firm Utilized Instinct.
The corporate raised $250 million in a spherical that despatched its valuation as much as $6 billion and included a who’s who of high-profile traders. The Sequence E spherical was led by Lux Capital’s Bilal Zuberi, investor Elad Gil, and Porsche Investments Administration, the sports activities automobile maker’s impartial enterprise arm. Others becoming a member of the spherical have been Andreessen Horowitz, Mary Meeker’s progress fund Bond and even System 1 world champion Nico Rosberg.
Utilized Instinct says it’s pushing to convey extra synthetic intelligence to the automotive, protection, development and agriculture sectors. As reporter Sean O’Kane wrote, the corporate seems to have nailed a selected candy spot for VCs who’re on the hunt for startups with AI merchandise that cross into massive industries with huge budgets — protection being one scorching space — with seemingly countless alternatives.
Different offers that received my consideration …
Anaphite, a battery expertise startup, raised £1.6 million ($2 million)through a government-backed grant funding led by Elbow Seashore Capital.
inDrive, a mobility app that features ride-hailing and different city providers, expanded its financing association with Basic Catalyst to $300 million, up from the preliminary $150 million secured in 2023.
Joyride, a micromobility software program supplier, raised $5.2 million in Sequence A funding spherical led by Yamaha Motors and consists of returning investments from City Innovation Fund, Proeza Ventures, Two Small Fish Ventures and Export Improvement Canada (EDC).
Motional, the autonomous automobile expertise startup Motional, secured a bridge mortgage that gives a brief monetary reprieve as the corporate searches for a longer-term supply of funding, TechCrunch solely realized.
Telo, the electrical automobile startup aiming to supply a pint-sized pickup truck, raised $5.4 million in a spherical from Neo and Spero Ventures. Marc Tarpenning, a Spero enterprise associate and Tesla co-founder, will likely be becoming a member of the board.
Volvo Automotive invested an undisclosed quantity into UK startup Breathe Battery Applied sciences. Volvo plans to combine the startup’s battery administration software program into its subsequent technology of electrical autos to enhance charging time by 30%.
Notable reads and different tidbits
Apptronik, the Austin-based robotics startup, has partnered with Mercedes-Benz. The 2 firms will collaborate on figuring out after which testing purposes for extremely superior robotics in Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing.”
Aurora showcased its autonomous automobile system throughout an analyst and investor day at its headquarters in Pittsburgh. The corporate demonstrated how Peterbilt 579 semi-trucks geared up with the most recent Aurora Driver system (and no human behind the wheel) dealt with real-world driving situations on closed course.
Phantom Auto, a distant driving startup that launched seven years in the past amid the thrill of autonomous automobile expertise, shut down after failing to safe new funding. The startup had raised $95 million since its founding and had prospects. And we’re informed they have been near elevating extra funds earlier than that fell by. We’ll be watching to see what occurs to Phantom Auto’s IP.
Zoox expanded its driverless testing — when it comes to operational hours, situations and geography — close to its Foster Metropolis, California headquarters and in Las Vegas. The driverless Zoox, which isn’t but open to the general public, is now working alongside 5 miles of highway from the south finish of the Las Vegas Strip. Zoox is predicted to divulge heart’s contents to public riders in Las Vegas later in 2024.
Electrical autos, batteries & charging
Coreshell, a battery supplies startup, revealed a breakthrough that might decrease the price of lithium-ion batteries.
Lucid Motors is caught in a trademark struggle over the identify of its Gravity SUV. Google Ventures-backed EV charging firm Gravity Inc. filed a “petition for cancellation” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace’s Trademark Trial and Enchantment Board (TTAB) in December asking for Lucid’s Gravity trademark to be revoked.
India will decrease import taxes on sure electrical autos for firms committing to take a position a minimum of $500 million and establishing a neighborhood manufacturing facility inside three years, a coverage shift that might bolster Tesla’s plans to enter the South Asian market.
Lordstown Motors emerged from chapter with a brand new identify — Nu Trip Inc. — and a virtually singular focus: persevering with its lawsuit in opposition to iPhone-maker Foxconn for allegedly “destroying the enterprise of an American startup.” The reconstituted model of Lordstown Motors can even pursue “potential enterprise mixtures,” although it didn’t say what sorts of mergers it’s in search of.
Uber and Lyft are leaving Minneapolis over a minimal wage regulation.
This week’s wheels
Whereas I used to be in Austin, I took a demo journey on public streets in a self-driving VW ID Buzz prototype. This wasn’t a real driverless journey as a human security operator was nonetheless behind the wheel. Nonetheless, it did give me some perception into how VW ADMT — the autonomous driving, mobility and transport subsidiary on the German automaker — is progressing. The ultimate and business model of the driverless ID. Buzz AD, which will likely be designed for ride-hailing, is anticipated to launch in 2026.
You may recall that VW’s autonomous automobile ambitions have been wrapped up in Argo AI, a startup backed solely by the automaker and associate Ford. The 2 firms pulled monetary assist for Argo AI, resulting in its shut down. VW then turned to Mobileye and has since pursued a unique path in the direction of automated driving that lies in distinction to Waymo, Cruise, Zoox and Motional.
VW and Mobileye consider in a progressive method through which expertise present in superior driver help programs utilized in fashionable automobiles can progress to a driverless system utilized in robotaxis. It’s much like what Tesla has argued.
My journey wasn’t completely easy, though I didn’t anticipate it to be. Nonetheless, the automobile did see and cease all of the sudden when a human-driven automobile got here coming out of an alley unexpectedly. One hiccup got here as we method a double-parked emergency automobile. The ID. Buzz sat for awhile earlier than the protection operator took management and drove round it.


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Honey production begins in villages close to Terai Elephant Reserve under
man-jumbo conflict mitigation plan
Keshav Agarwal, Times of India
January 24, 2023
In the initial phase of the man-jumbo conflict mitigation plan launched in
the rural belt in proximity to Terai Elephant Reserve (TER), Pilibhit, the
villagers began producing honey under the direct assistance of TER
The TER authorities laid beehive fencing at the interface between the core
forest and the villages to deter wild elephants from barging into the
habitations. This move was taken as the elephants shun bees fearing being
In addition, the beehive fencing aimed at providing the local communities
with an additional source of income and converting them into wildlife
protectors. The honey was titled ‘Jewel of Terai’ and is ready for
marketing under Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR).
Preparations are being made for the product’s certification by Food Safety
and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and its collaboration with
multinational companies like Amazon and Flipkart. Apart from this, TER is
set to open exclusive outlets to sell the honey.
“TER’s PTR component provided 25 bee boxes to 6 marginal farmers in village
Puraina Talluke Maharajpur and Tanda Chhatrapati free of cost while the
intensive training of beekeeping and honey processing was given by experts
of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),” said Naveen Kandelwal, the divisional
forest officer of TER.
He added, “We have identified as many as 24 villages highly sensitive from
wild jumbo’s infiltration. A target has been fixed to provide at least 100
bee boxes in each of these villages.”
Colonel Prabhjot Singh Bindra, an expert apiculturist in village Baivaha,
told TOI, “A bee box with nine sections produces 35 to 50 kilograms of
honey during the five monthly seasons of bees’ honey collection annually.
The locals can easily achieve an average production of around 95,000
kilograms of honey a year with 2,400 bee boxes”.
The DFO said that the price of honey was fixed at Rs 400 a kilogram, and by
selling 95,000 kilograms of honey per year the locals can raise gross
incomes to the tune of Rs 3.8 crore.


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By BizLED Bureau
June 25, 2015: Dutch researchers at Wageningen UR Greenhouse Horticulture in Bleiswijk have found that strawberries grown in autumn using LED lighting yield higher, are tastier and contain more vitamin C. Researchers have also found that production of strawberries increased by about 15% when grown by applying LED lighting.
Researchers have taken five different types of strawberries that were planted on August 20 in glasshouses of Wageningen UR’s Innovation & Demonstration Centre, Bleiswijk. They applied different LED lighting on these strawberries from different angles and directions. In some rows, the light came from outside, and is supplemented with LEDs from high above. In other rows, LEDs were hung 30 cm above the plants. And then there was special intermediary LED lighting, which focuses on both the leaves and the fruit.
The researchers found that the strawberries grown with the help of LED lighting from just above the plants and from lower down were more sweeter and vitamin C content increased; the the levels of antioxidants was also higher. This project was sponsored by
None of the facts and figures mentioned in the story have been created by BizLED.co.in. BizLED is not responsible for any factual errors.
LED lighting makes strawberries tastier and healthier %%http://bizled.co.in/led-lighting-makes-strawberries-tastier-and-healthier/%% appeared first on %%www.bizled.co.in%%


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US NGO petitions for sunscreen ingredient biomonitoring
NGO the Environmental Working Group has petitioned the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to add common sunscreen ingredients to its biomonitoring programme. The group cited the recently published findings of a US Food and Drug...
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The Chairman of the tel Aviv district court Eytan Ornstein announced the businessman Eliezer Fishman of the bankrupt and handed over to the appropriate authority for the implementation of its property a court-appointed special Manager, lawyer Yossi Benkel.
The court’s ruling came after the all creditors rejected Fishman, the debt restructuring plan and, along with the official bailiff agreed that Fishman should be declared bankrupt.
He 74-year-old businessman did not argue against this decision of the court.
Benkel, asked the court to order the appointment of investigators that will search the Fishman owned the property, according to the portal ynet.
According to the court, the debts of the Fishman after the implementation of its property known to the creditors, would amount to 1.5 billion shekels. This bankruptcy will be the largest in Israel’s history.
The debts of the Fishman distributed among 10 lenders, including banks «Hapoalim» and «Leumi», which the businessman owed 3.5 billion shekels. Among other creditors – the state of Israel in the face of Tax administration, the Bank «Diskont», «Mercantile», «Ihud», «Mizrahi», «Beinleumi», «national Britannia», as well as the pension Fund excellence and investment funds «Keren Manor 1алеф» and «Hermetic Nemanot».
In «Empire» Fishman includes more than 30 different companies in which it directly or indirectly owns a large stake. Among other things, it includes the construction company «Calcalist Yerushalayim», the company that manages lucrative real estate «Mivnei TAAS – Nadlan Maniwa,» the company «Mirland» multi-channel cable television HOT, chain of toy stores «Giberti», chain store «home center», a network of flower shops «Zer Yu», network of shops of fashionable clothes «Selio» club of consumers «Powercard», the company imports cigarettes «Globrands» online pharmacy «Teleform», one-third of the shares of the company «Yediot Ahronot», plant for the production of chips «Mylocal», the developer of communication systems «Trilogical» company «Mifala Kirur».


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Chasing Nike’s (NYSE: NKE) dominant position in the athletic footwear business has been a tiring exercise for competitors such as Under Armour (NYSE: UA), Adidas (OTC:ADDYY), and Skechers (NYSE: SKX) over the past couple of years. In 2016, however, chasing Nike stock has proven to be an even more frustrating experience for investors.
Nike shares — currently trading at around $52 — have fallen almost 16% year to date, trailing not only the 11% rise in the S&P 500 Index (SPX), but also the 15% rise in the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI). At this rate, Nike — one of only three Dow 30 stocks in negative territory for the year — is poised to end 2016 as the index’s worst performer. Meanwhile, the other two Dow stocks in negative territory — The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) and The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) — have respective declines of only 1.11% and 2.84%.
[ad#Google Adsense 336×280-IA]Nike’s Future Value Is Not Futures
Placing a bet here on Nike stock — despite the company’s brutal year-to-date performance — is still not an easy endeavor, especially for investors who are looking for value and not just a good name.
Even with Nike shares losing almost 20% in the past twelve months, the stock is priced at a forward P/E at 22, which is still about four points higher than the S&P 500 SPX index.
Assuming the shares were price on par with the rest of the market, the stock would likely trade today at around $43, or about 15% below current levels.
In other words, Nike’s best-of-breed status still commands a premium, even as the company’s futures orders (sales scheduled for delivery) takes greater focus. In the fiscal 2017 first quarter, management noted that it will omit futures discussions from press releases, saying that, going forward, it will discuss futures orders only in the quarterly conference calls. This is because Nike shares have traded broadly on the basis of its futures metric.
While the company’s futures aren’t always a perfect representation of what’s immediately coming for revenue, keeping a watchful eye on the metric provides a good sense of where the markets are heading. Worldwide futures orders up 5% year-over-year and 7% in constant currency in fiscal Q1, though management seemed concerned about the prospects for the next couple of quarters.
The company is projected to earn $2.35 per share in fiscal 2017, which would mark a year-over-year earnings-per-share rise of 8.7%. That’s growth is decent, but not breathtaking. Consensus estimates have trickled lower to coincide not only with tempered futures order forecasts, but also gross margin pressure.
Can DTC Boost Gross Margins?
There’s also concern about the strength of Nike’s business in several important markets. Nike’s Gross margin declined 200 basis points to 45.5% in fiscal Q1, driven by a combination of factors, including a 6% rise in overhead expenses and a rise in cost of goods sold. What’s more, with inventory rising 11% year over year, the company has had to rely more on its off-price mix, meaning its high-end products were moved to discounted retailers, resulting in lower profits.
Does this signal a trend that Under Armour and Adidas are catching up to Nike, causing the rise in inventory, or is this a temporary hiccup? My bet is that it’s the latter. Although gross margins have declined, it’s also important to focus on the reason.
The 6% increase in “expenses” can also be called an increase in “investments.” Because Nike wants to rely less on off-price retailers and even long-standing partners like Foot Locker (NYSE: FL), the company is spending to grow its Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) business.
To that end, the management has increased spending in ways to grow Nike’s digital capabilities in consumer-focused infrastructure. What does that mean? Nike wants to control the shopping experience, not rely on mistakes by brick-and-mortar partners — many of which are suffering from the dominance of Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN).
Nike plans for its DTC revenue to grow by almost 2.5 times in the next five years, rising from $6.6 billion in fiscal 2015 to $16 billion by fiscal 2020.
The company, which beat its own 2015 target of $5 billion in DTC revenue by more than $1.5 billion, can use the DTC business to push sales of premium products. And given that the DTC segment will give it more control over pricing, inventory, and merchandising decisions, Nike can also realize higher margin accretion too, helping it achieve its goal 30 to 50 basis-point margin expansion each year through fiscal 2020.
What Does This Mean For Nike Stock?
Nike’s DTC business and e-commerce initiatives bodes well for Nike shares, though admittedly, they’re not in the bargain bin. Still, with fiscal 2018 EPS estimates calling for $2.66 per share, or 13% EPS growth, Nike can still pay. This is assuming Nike futures orders remain steady at 5% to 7% growth for all of 2017. Nonetheless, with the forward P/E down some 25% from last year, this is as cheap as Nike is going to be for a while. My value model puts Nike shares at around $62 to $65 in the next 12 to 18 months, delivering 21% to 27% returns during that span.
Risks To Consider: Much of my optimism is based on the assumption that Nike’s DTC business can take up a bigger portion of overall revenue in the coming years. Likewise, as the company focuses less on futures orders and its impact on revenue, it doesn’t mean the market will follow suit.
Action To Take: Nike should be kept on the watch list of investors who are looking for a company that pays a decent dividend yield and is trading at a relatively below-market price.
— Richard Saintvilus
Sponsored Link: All across America, investors are tapping into one of Wall Street’s most powerful “secret” tools to supercharge their portfolios and boost gains. Check out our 10 most shockingly profitable stocks of 2017 that could bring you…
Source: Street Authority


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Samsung Electronics has announced that the company is making chips that will be specifically used to harvest cryptocurrency coins.
The disclosure was made during the company’s latest earning’s report.
Cryptocurrency is a digital asset (in other words a form of digital money) that is designed to stay secure. It uses cryptography to secure its exchanges making it nearly impossible to counterfeit. Cryptocurrency in particular is classified as a subset of digital currencies. Bitcoin was the first decentralized cryptocurrency.
Nations and organizations across the world have been working towards regulating the increasing value of cryptocurrencies, especially Bitcoin. Many countries have also begun making inroads in the creation of their own cryptocurrency. The European nation of Estonia is hoping to become the first crypto-country in the world. It has is already begun the process of digitizing its government services using Blockchain technology, the tech behind digital currencies like Bitcoin. Additionally, even China, which blocked trading of Bitcoins in 2017, is navigating towards Blockchain. In June 2017, the People’s Bank of China opened its own new cryptocurrency research lab. PBoC, which is the central bank of China, has also made significant investments towards research in Blockchain.
Executives from Citi Bank has previously stated that state-backed cryptocurrencies are key to the adoption of blockchain technology. Head of core cash management for Asia-Pacific, Morgan McKenney said, “If you had a digital dollar, if you had a digital pound, exactly fungible with the note in your wallet and the dollar in your bank account, then you'd be willing to use that digital currency much more throughout your ongoing daily transactions.”
The Samsung Group is one of the biggest multinational conglomerates in the world. Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, Samsung was started by Lee Byung-chul in 1938 as a trading company. Over the years it expanded and diversified into numerous affiliated businesses. Samsung Electronics is the world’s 2nd largest information technology company.
In the final months of 2017, the value of Bitcoins began to rise exponentially along with other cryptocurrencies. At one point it was trading at $20,000 thus sparking a slew of warnings from experts and analysts. Other cryptocurrencies like Ripple and Dogecoin have also performed incredibly well in the past year. However, in 2018, the value has continued to drop. South Korean government announced that there will be a ban on cryptocurrency exchanges and value dropped below $10,000.
Samsung Electronics has announced that the company is making chips that will be specifically used to harvest cryptocurrency coins. The disclosure was made during the company’s latest earning’s report. The company stated, “In the first quarter, earnings are expected to rise on the ramp-up of 2nd generation 10nm process products for this year’s flagship smartphones and growing demand for cryptocurrency mining chips.”
The company confirmed its new venture to BBC by stating, "Samsung's foundry business is currently engaged in the manufacturing of cryptocurrency mining chips. However we are unable to disclose further details regarding our customers."
The company is making hardware specially designed for mining cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. These chips are known as ASICs, or application-specific integrated circuits. The demand for these chips has increased along with the rise in the value of cryptocurrencies. Korean media has stated that the company will be working with Taiwanese firm TSMC. However, details are sparse regarding the kind of products it will be making.
However, experts have also noted that the craze around Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies might be a bubble. James Dimon, the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of JPMorgan Chase said, “It's just not a real thing, eventually it will be closed. I'm not saying 'go short bitcoin and sell $100,000 of bitcoin before it goes down. This is not advice of what to do. My daughter bought bitcoin, it went up and now she thinks she's a genius. It's worse than tulip bulbs. It won't end well. Someone is going to get killed. Currencies have legal support. It will blow up.”
Our assessment is that even though the cryptocurrency market is viewed as highly volatile, more companies and governments are working to adapt to cryptocurrencies as they continue to be popular. The challenge with governments will be in regulation. Samsung has recognized that cryptocurrencies will be viewed as hard cash in the future and have begun working towards capitalizing and monetizing them.


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To assist brewers to monitor the market to keep on top of new and existing trade marks being used in the beer industry, Brews News will publish a monthly list of applications and acceptances for Category 32.
With consumers increasingly focusing on the sustainability credentials of businesses they deal with, breweries are looking to move towards being cleaner and greener. But there are other benefits too.
Even in lockdown, Krones is able to provide ‘hands on’ technical support through the use of its Argos Augmented Reality Support system.
A list of Trade Mark applications in Category 32 (Beer) accepted by IP Australia in April 2020
Two Birds Brewing partner with O-I Glass to embrace glass as a circular resource, using recyclable glass packaging for their product.
Fermentis is constantly innovating. SafSour™ LP 652 is their latest release to delivery better control to your sour beers.
The 2020 hop harvest report has been released and it was a mixed year for HPA, We sat down for a deep dive with Hop Products Australia’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Owen Johnston.
As businesses look to get their businesses online in the face of COVID-19, Unleashed Software have provided this handy guide to quickly setting up your online store
With brewhouses sized from its 5 hectolitre MicroCube right through to conventional brewhouses larger than 150 hectolitres, Krones has a brewhouse for those about to brew.
As venues and brewpubs across the country are shutting and beer lines are being put into hibernation, a draught system expert offers this comprehensive guide to cleaning and maintaining your system.


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Saving money online – we share our expertise with The Telegraph
Published: Jun 8th, 2013 |
Kerry Bradshaw, Project Coordinator from Citizens Online explains to The Telegraph the many benefits of being online.
She said: “If somebody doesn’t want to get online and they are happy with their shopping and direct debits, that’s fine. But there are huge benefits financially and socially, especially if your family are abroad. You can save so much money calling on Skype, for example. A couple I was working with were looking at train tickets and could see they could save by booking a train an hour earlier than planned. That might not happen if you had a printed timetable.
“My mum gets her cod liver oil tablets online and my dad books flights online and gets the TV licence online. It saves you filling out a form and posting it, as well as saving the cost of a stamp.”
To read the full article in The Telegraph, please click here.
Next post: Long standing volunteer moves onto new job


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Bell is already in the process of preparing for a future when physical SIM cards no longer exist.
The company announced a partnership today with eSIM company G+D Mobile Security in order to provide its customers with an embedded SIM, or eSIM, management solution.
eSIMs, as the name suggests, are embedded in the device and cannot be physically removed. Instead, eSIMs are programmed and reprogrammed digitally, when necessary.
In addition to the convenience of not having to physically purchase or swap SIMs, eSIMs are ideal for small form factors that don’t have space for a SIM tray — like the recent Apple Watch 3.
The Apple Watch 3 is Bell’s first and currently only eSIM-toting device, but with this new partnership it seems likely more will join the ranks in the near future.
Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL feature eSIMs, though the company has so far only launched a pilot of the tech with subscribers to its Project Fi service, which is not available in Canada.
“By implementing this solution, Bell is now well positioned to pursue further emerging devices and solutions using embedded-SIM technology,” the carrier told MobileSyrup in a written statement.
The operator also notes that its efforts are in-line with the GSMA’s eSIM standard, which means interoperability with other carriers and partners shouldn’t be an issue in the future.


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Mahendra Chaudhry has lashed out at the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Professor Biman Prasad, for claiming that inflation rate for the month of January was down to 3.7 per cent.
Chaudhry said his claims ring hollow to the general shopper, for whom the price of goods on the supermarket shelf, and almost everywhere else, continues to rise.
In a statement, the Fiji Labour Party Leader and former Prime Minister said there is no real correlation between the inflation figures stated by government and the increasingly high cost of living the ordinary family is struggling with.
Chaudhry said whatever the inflation rate four per cent or 13 per cent as claimed by an independent economist, the point is that the already high cost of living has soared sharply with the increase in VAT to 15 per cent and higher duties imposed on imported food products and other items in the budget.
He said that the Prof Prasad is not fooling anyone with his lower figures.
“Independent economist have told us that the government’s inflation figures are misleading because the Consumer Price Index is based on the basket of goods and services constructed in 2008. That is some 16 years ago – prices and people’s buying habits have changed considerably since then.
“To retain his credibility, Prof Prasad needs to move urgently to reset the components and weights of the CPI so that it provides a more realistic picture of what’s happening on the ground,” Chaudhry said.
The FLP said the reality is that the Government has not met its election promise to provide relief by bringing down the cost of living. On the contrary, taxation measures adopted by the Government have made matters worse for the ordinary family.
He said the high cost of living is hurting the economy because consumption is down. People are spending on essentials. Businesses are complaining that sales are down, by as much as 30 per cent in some cases.
“Trying to paint a rosy picture fools no one. There is a general downturn. This is reflected in Government revenue collection,” the former Prime Minister said.


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Table of Contents
Aldi: Following news that it could be the most pricey Thanksgiving at any time as meals selling prices rise and supply receives squeezed, Aldi has a solution. The German grocer, which has been ramping up its existence in the U.S. in the latest yrs, is promoting a traditional Turkey Working day feast for underneath $30 including a Butterball chook, sides these types of as carrots and stuffing, and a pumpkin pie. As it seeks to increase its current market share right here, Aldi has been competing on the price front—the marketer statements its charges are 40% decreased than the average competitor. The method could verify fruitful this getaway time as shoppers become additional rate-aware.
State Farm: In the latest instance of how no celeb endorsement is ever secure, the insurer is still recovering from last week’s Aaron Rodgers drama. The GreenBay QB has been underneath fire for his stance on vaccinations just after he was identified with COVID-19 earlier this thirty day period and was not able to participate in in the Packers recreation past weekend. Though State Farm has targeted its modern adverts on Terry Bradshaw fairly than Rodgers, the marketer nonetheless reported it respects Rodgers’ “right to have his possess personal stage of view” in not obtaining vaccinated versus the coronavirus. Critics referred to as the business a “bad neighbor” and famous a absence of belief in the brand as a consequence of the final decision.
Sign up for Advertisement Age Up coming: CMO at AdAge.com/NextCMO.
Disney: It was a tough 7 days for the enjoyment huge, which documented disappointing quarterly effects that included slower-than-predicted progress for Disney+. The streamer is attempting to recapture some of its momentum with today’s “Disney+ Day” which features premieres and a special deal for new shoppers.
Major conglomerates: Thin is in when it comes to company technique. Johnson & Johnson is the latest behemoth to split—it introduced right now strategies to break into two public businesses, one particular for medication and clinical products, and the other for purchaser products. It follows a go by Normal Electric Co. to split into 3. Even providers that are not breaking up are shedding makes: Typical Mills is reportedly hunting at no matter whether to offload Hamburger Helper and Progresso Soup and Coca-Cola has noticeably pared down it now sells about 200 models in contrast with about 400 many months back.


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ISLAMABAD: The exports from Pakistan in rupee term increased by 16.42% during the first eleven months of the current fiscal year as compared to corresponding period of last year, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics reported.
The exports during July–May (2020 – 2021) totaled Rs.3,615,857 million as against Rs.3,105,799 million during the corresponding period of last year showing an increase of 16.42%, according to the provisional figures of PBS.
Meanwhile, exports from Pakistan during May 2021 amounted to Rs. 256,115 million as against Rs.339,498 million in April, 2021 and Rs.223,512 million during May, 2020, showing a decrease of 24.56% over April, 2021 but an increase of 14.59% over May, 2020.
The main commodities of exports during May, 2021 were knitwear (Rs. 44,936 million), readymade garments (Rs. 29,864 million), bed wear (Rs. 27,746 million), cotton cloth (Rs. 20,641 million), cotton yarn (Rs. 11,050 million), rice others (Rs. 10,001 million), towels (Rs.9,473 million), madeup articles (excl. towels & bedwear) (Rs.7,460 million), Basmati rice (Rs. 6,264 million) and fish & fish preparations (Rs. 4,766 million).
Meanwhile, imports during July–May (2020-21) totaled Rs.7,992,202 million as against Rs.6,418,372 million during the corresponding period of last year showing an increase of 24.52%.
Imports into Pakistan during May, 2021 amounted to Rs.813,622 million as against Rs.802,443 million in April, 2021 and Rs. 457,399 million during May 2020 showing, an increase of 1.39% over April, 2021 and of 77.88% over May 2020.
The main commodities of imports during May, 2021 were petroleum products (Rs. 86,724 million), petroleum crude (Rs.48,626 million), natural gas, liquefied (Rs. 42,396 million), palm Oil (Rs. 39,108 million), plastic materials (Rs. 33,563 million), iron & steel (Rs. 33,219 million), electrical machinery & apparatus (Rs.29,707 million), mobile phones (Rs.26,903 million), medicinal products (Rs.23,834 million) and power generating machinery (Rs.22,845 million).


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The CEO of Australian start-up Clipchamp said Microsoft would help it seize new opportunities in the video market.
Microsoft is looking to help users embrace video editing with the acquisition of Brisbane-based Clipchamp. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Clipchamp develops in-browser video creation and editing software. The Australian start-up launched in 2014 and now has more than 17m registered users.
Its platform provides a library of filters, transitions and stock media, along with multi-track audio and video compositing tools. It was built with social media in mind, giving output styles and aspect ratios for different platforms including Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
In a blog post announcing the deal, Chris Pratley, corporate-vice president of Microsoft’s Office media group, wrote that video used to be a medium largely preserved for professionals.
“That has changed. More and more of us are feeling we can make watchable, useful or fun videos the way we might have typed an email before or snapped a photo. Video is establishing itself as a new type of ‘document’ for business, big and small, used inside and outside organisations to pitch an idea, explain a process or communicate with team members.
“Small business owners, marketers, influencers, students, educators, families and information workers of all types need the capability to make great videos with minimal effort. Whether it’s a 10-second social media ad, a two-minute pitch for a product, or a 20-minute instructional video, Clipchamp and Microsoft will provide the tools and experience you need.”
Pratley added that the web app would be a “natural fit” to extend Microsoft 365’s capabilities for personal, education and business users.
‘Abundance of opportunity’
Microsoft has already worked with the video-editing start-up. In July of this year, Clipchamp launched an app specifically for Windows users and it also introduced an integration with Microsoft OneDrive.
At the time of that announcement, Clipchamp revealed that video exports on its platform were up 186pc in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period last year. It attributed this rise to the increase in remote work during the pandemic, with businesses and the general population turning to video for communication.
It said more than 390,000 companies use its software, with customers including Zendesk.
In a blog post on the Clipchamp website this week, CEO and co-founder Alexander Dreiling said there is “absolutely an abundance of opportunity” in the video space.
“We just need to figure out how to seize it,” he added. “Inside Microsoft, we can approach seizing our opportunity in entirely new ways.”
Microsoft has eyed the growing video market in the past. In 2018, it acquired Flipgrid, which lets students record and share videos, and it also expressed an interest in taking over TikTok’s US business last year.
The news comes a few weeks after Adobe said it would buy video-collaboration software start-up Frame.io in a $1.275bn deal.


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12th November 2020, Kathmandu
If you missed the Dashain Exchange Offer, we’ve got news for you! Jagdamba Motors, the authorized distributors of TVS in Nepal announced an exchange offer targeting Tihar!
The campaign ‘TVS Smart XChange’ lasts between 8th to 14th November across all TVS showrooms. You can exchange any brand of old motorcycle or scooter and go home with a brand new TVS motorcycle or scooter!
Here’s what the exchange campaign offers.
TVS Smart XChange – For the XGeneration
Under the offer, you get;
- An added valuation of Rs 15,000
- A sure-shot cash discount of Rs 9,000
- Financing at 0% interest
- And a chance to win a brand new Apache RR310 via lucky draw!
Excites you? Get more details here at TVS Nepal!


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Ohio Brewery News
First Cartridge Brewing Bottle Release Sells Out in Hours
The Motto series of barrel aged beers has become a favorite at Maineville’s Cartridge Brewing, housed in the historic Peters Cartridge factory complex. So when the brewery announced that they were holding their first specialty bottle release this past Sunday, March 27, fans flocked to the taproom and cleaned them out within hours of opening.
Motto: Rendezvous with Destiny is a bourbon barrel aged stout named and designed to honor the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, which happens to be the very same division in which Cartridge co-founder and COO Kyle Hackbarth served in the years following 9/11.
“The 101st … it made me a better version of myself,” Hackbarth said in a press release. “The operational tempo took a very young 21-year-old through a lot of physical pain, built intestinal fortitude – made me who I am.”
While the bottles sold out quickly, you can still get a taste on draft at the taproom while it lasts. Be sure to follow the brewery on social media to get the heads-up on upcoming specialty beer releases.
Anything but Regular Joes
Cincinnati’s run to the Super Bowl certified quarterback Joe Burrow as Queen City royalty, coming just short of delivering the Bengals their first Lombardi trophy. As one Joe ascends to lofty heights in the minds and hearts of Cincy sports fans, another legendary Joe seeks to cement a legacy in the final years of his career.
Joey Votto has been a fixture at first base for the Cincinnati Reds for each of the past 15 years, one of the game’s best pure hitters, known for his patient and selective approach at the plate. A guy that should be a first ballot hall-of-famer, Votto has endeared himself to all fans of Cincinnati baseball (well, save for one.)
To honor the contributions of these two men to Cincy sports fandom, Grainworks Brewing released Crushin’ on Joes, a German-style pilsner that’s equally at home in the bleachers on a sweltering summer day as it is at a frigid tailgate. Look for Crushin’ on Joes at the taproom in West Chester and in stores around the Cincinnati area starting this week. Find out more at grainworks.beer


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Coty Prestige Taps Mortier
Coty has announced the appointment of Jean Mortier as president of the company’s prestige business, effective immediately. He will be based in Paris and also serve on Coty’s executive committee.
Mortier, who assumes the position of the company’s newly-announced CEO Michele Scannavini, will lead the development of all products within Coty Prestige’s worldwide distribution portfolio as well as seek new business ventures and collaborations. Since 2005, Mortier has served as Coty’s senior vice president of commercial.
Prior to Coty, Mortier held numerous positions at Unilever—he was senior vice president of Unilever Cosmetics International when Coty purchased it in July 2005—and has worked in various continents including Europe, North America, South America and Asia. He holds a degree in business administration from prestigious Paris-based ESSEC.
“Jean’s strong retailer partnerships, his focus on growth and his understanding of the dynamics of consolidated and emerging markets will be key assets in moving Coty toward the next stage of our success,” Scannavini said.
“I’m honored that Coty’s leadership has chosen me to take the reins from Michele after his successful leadership of our Prestige business,” Mortier said. “I am eager to get started and contribute to this new era at Coty.”
Schwieger’s Open Studio
Mane perfumer Ralf Schwieger is currently participating in the Museum of Art and Design’s Open Studios program, in which artists will discuss their processes, materials and concepts to foster a dialog with the public. The Department of Olfactory Arts curator for the Museum of Art and Design is industry notable Chandler Burr.
Schwieger will spend every Thursday through December at the museum to give a glimpse into his olfactory creations.
Other participants include multi-disciplinary artist Trong Gia Nguyen, sculptor Derek Haffar, fiber worker Nathan Vincent, industrial designer Lara Knutson and ceramicist Matthew Greco.
Arcade to Open New Jersey Facility
Sensory sampling leader Arcade Marketing has announced that it will become operational in an 84,000 square foot facility in Rockaway, New Jersey by month’s end that will house an all-new initiative entitled Color Optics by Arcade.
The facility will assume production from a previous facility in Saddle Brook following Arcade’s acquisition of premium packager Color Optics in 2011. At almost double the square footage of the previous plant, Arcade will manufacture its PreScent box there, the company said. Arcade also operates production centers in Tennessee and Illinois.
“Combining the unique packaging and sampling capabilities in one operation represents an opportunity to create a new generation of sampling and packaging solutions,” said Arcade’s senior vice president, Diane Crecca. “Most immediately, the new state-of-the art facility provides Arcade with greater resources to develop exciting sensory sampling formats that motivate consumers to buy beauty, fragrance and personal care products.”
“We are excited about the opportunities the new Rockaway facility creates in allowing us to provide innovative packaging solutions at a new level,” said Joe Cicci, who led the Color Optics operation for over eight years and will serve as head of the new operation.


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The adoption of cloud-based technology is driving the use of mobile device management solutions.
Mobile device management represents a big opportunity for the chain, as the global market is expected to nearly quadruple by 2026, surpassing $20 billion.
That’s according to a new report from MarketsandMarkets, which expects a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 30%. The mobile device management market totaled $5.5 billion in 2021.
Major players include VMware, Microsoft, IBM, Blackberry, Citrix, Google, Cisco, Samsung, SolarWinds, SAP, Ivanti, Sophos, Qualys and many more. These players have adopted several organic and inorganic growth strategies to expand their offerings and market share. These strategies include new product launches, partnerships and collaborations, and acquisitions.
Increase in the use of mobile devices
Mobile device management solutions allow IT teams and administrators to control and distribute security policies to mobile devices accessing sensitive corporate data in their organizations. This ensures that the corporate network is secure.
With more and more employees using one or all of these devices, businesses of all shapes and sizes are now turning to mobile device management to improve data and network security and improve employee productivity.
The use of mobile devices is increasing in most industries to improve employee productivity. Additionally, companies are leveraging new mobile technologies to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. This, in turn, has led to more organizations implementing mobile security procedures. These include mobile device management, mobile application management, and mobile content management. This allows IT admins to manage smartphones, tablets, Chromebooks, and kiosk devices from a central location.
However, the introduction of more devices and terminals into the enterprise increases the means by which hackers can potentially exploit these terminals and devices. Even organizations with strict security and compliance guidelines for all sensitive data often lack these same strict security measures for mobile devices. Integrating all mobile devices under one mobile device management software umbrella would help the company close the vulnerable gaps.
According to MarketsandMarkets, the adoption of cloud-based technology is driving the use of mobile device management solutions. Companies are increasingly turning to cloud services, such as PaaS, IaaS, SaaS, and BaaS to meet their business needs.
Among the challenges, vendors offering solutions are unable to customize them to specific business needs. Every company has different security needs for mobile devices that access the corporate network.
Additionally, vendors face several challenges when integrating mobile device management into an organization’s existing security and management controls and workflows. However, the right solution can improve both security and efficiency, allowing an IT administrator to control and monitor systems from a single point of access.
By market component, services are expected to register a higher growth rate through 2026. Services play an important role in managing mobile devices within an enterprise environment. Professional services have been classified into three categories. These are consulting services, implementation services and support services.
By region, APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR through 2026. This is driven by steady economic growth, increasing youth workforce and growing use of tablets and smartphones for professional purposes.


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Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Duo and from September 10 it will arrive on the U.S. market, but for the arrival in Italy we will have to wait
The dual-screen smartphone Microsoft Surface Duo has finally arrived and users in the United States have been able to pre-order. Starting from September 10 they will start receiving it, but the foldable smartphone could arrive late in Europe and therefore also in Italy.
The Redmond company has not released official dates for the launch of the Microsoft Surface Duo on the European market, but according to rumors the intention is to wait and see how the new foldable smartphone will be received on the U.S. market. Microsoft doesn't want to produce more devices than it can sell and for this reason the Surface Duo could arrive on foreign markets, and even in Italy, perhaps by mid-2021, according to Zac Bowden of Windows Central. A large launch window, but if sales in the U.S. will go well, the timing could shorten.
Microsoft Surface Duo, prices and launch date
The Microsoft Surface Duo is already available for pre-order in the U.S. on the site of the Redmond company at a price of $ 1399 for the version with 128 GB of storage space and $ 1499 for that of 256 GB. Shipments for those who have already ordered it will start from September 10, but the release date outside the U.S. market is not yet certain.
After all, the foldable smartphone has already been certified for distribution in Canada, Japan and Europe, which is why the arrival in Italy does not seem to be in question. To weigh on the launch choices of Microsoft there are several factors, including the hardware of the Surface Duo, which can count on a Snapdragon 855 with excellent performance, but still lower than the performance of other smartphones sold at the same price and equipped with newer and more powerful processors.
This would be one of the reasons why before extending the sale to the European market, and Italy, Microsoft will wait to see the trend of sales in the United States. The output then could be by mid-2021 even by us, but if the launch date will be too moved forward in time then in Italy could arrive directly the successor Surface Duo 2, which would already be in development.
Microsoft Surface Duo, the features
The Surface Duo from Microsoft is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and 6 GB of RAM, and is available in two versions of internal storage of 128 GB and 256 GB. The foldable smartphone can count on two AMOLED displays of 5.6 inches each, which when hinged open form an 8.1-inch screen. There's no shortage of a fingerprint sensor, while the 3577 mAh battery supports 18W fast charging. In addition, it supports Android 10 and also the main features of Microsoft 365. A device designed especially for the business user market and that also works with the Surface Pen (which is not included in the price, however).


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The company said today that Japanese carmaker Honda will “suspend production” for one week at most of its plants in the US and Canada due to factors including shortages of parts.
A Honda spokesman in Japan said the company was dealing with “a number of supply chain issues related to the impact of Covid-19, congestion at various ports, lack of microchips and severe winter weather for the past several weeks”, especially in Texas. France Press agency.
“In a way, all of our auto factories in the US and Canada will be affected, as most plants will temporarily suspend production during the week of March 22,” the spokesman said.
Since the mode is “flexible”, the timing and length of the “production adjustments” may change.
Even when production is suspended, the spokesperson said, Honda workers would still be able to work in affected factories.
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted supply and demand patterns around the world, leading to support operations at major ports.
A shortage of silicon wafers is also forcing carmakers to scale back production around the world.
Ford has said it will drastically cut production of its best-selling F-150 truck due to a semiconductor shortage, while General Motors has announced that it will suspend work at three plants in North America.
With a strong demand for microchips across various industries – especially as PC sales increased during shutdowns – chip makers turned their attention to other customers.
US President Joe Biden promised to address the problem and make supply chains safer and more reliable by increasing production of some key items in the United States.


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TowerJazz takes over Chengdu GlobalFoundries, expands RF SOI Production capacity to meet 5G
After more than a year of shutdown, the GlobalFoundries (Chengdu) 12-inch wafer fabrication base project covering more than 1,000 acres finally saw th...
US warns NATO: Using China's 5G equipment will endanger cooperation between the two sides
According to Bloomberg News, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper warned that if NATO uses China's 5G telecommunications network, it is likely to put milit...
STMicroelectronics Introduces Low Distortion High Voltage LED Driver
Recently, STMicroelectronics announced the HVLED007AC/DCLED driver, which uses a new distortion-suppressing input current shaping (ICS) circuit to ena...
Create new heights! US public utility scale PV reserve project capacity reached 37.9GW
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LG launched an Android tablet, but the foreign media is called a disappointing product.
According to foreign media Phone Arena news, LG's new tablet G Pad 5 is currently on the shelves in the United States, and the appearance has not been...
ASUS server sets a world record of 246 SPEC standards
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MediaTek's Q3 operation is up to standard, and 5G chips are added to TSMC.
MediaTek entered the peak season in the third quarter, and 4G mobile phone chips came into the Samsung supply chain. The industry is optimistic that t...
MediaTek P22 regains Samsung's big order, expected to reach 50 million sales levels
Recently, according to the Taiwan Media Business Times report, MediaTek P22 chip successfully entered the A series of mobile phones that Samsung will ...
The Fab plant project with a total investment of nearly US$50 billion will start construction in 2020.
On September 12, 2019, California time, according to SEMI's latest updated World Fab factory forecast, the investment in the new Fab plant project sta...
Qualcomm's summer: anti-monopoly "ban" temporarily removed, mobile phone manufacturers are upset
On August 23, I was in the heat. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (hereinafter referred to as the “Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals” or ...
Finalized? Korean government: Move Japan out of the "white list" as soon as next week
According to the Yonhap News Agency, the relevant person of the Korea Ministry of Industry, Trade and Resources said at the press conference that the ...
US Department of Energy new regulations: canceling energy policy on LED bulbs
On September 5, the US Department of Energy (DOE) finalized a new set of rules. From January 1, 2020, the policy for the transition of LED bulbs will ...


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Costa Coffee Is Now Banning Under 16s From Consuming Caffeine In Stores
| Last updated
Featured Image Credit: PA Images
Costa Coffee has revealed its stores have the power to ban children from consuming caffeine.
The high street coffee chain has given its staff the discretion as to whether they choose to serve certain drinks to children under the age of 16.
This decision comes after a number of supermarket chains decided to ban the sale of energy drinks, which typically have high caffeine content, to school-age children.
Costa Coffee has more 1,500 branches across the UK and a further 900 overseas, so the move could pose a huge shift in how caffeine is consumed by under 16s.
The chain is the largest coffee shop chain in the UK making up a huge 40 per cent of all coffee shops in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Some branches have already started asking for ID from customers who look younger than 16 and refusing to serve them.
One dad recently told the Bristol Post how his 12-year-old daughter was refused service when she tried to order an iced coffee at the Costa Coffee in Conwy, Wales.
"I had never heard of Costa doing this before, her older sister has often bought her own drinks at Costa before," he explained.
"This is an occasional treat rather than regular coffee drinking and a lot of Costa drinks do seem to be aimed at younger people."
He added that there should be a blanket policy across stores to avoid any confusion over whether under 16s should be served.
"If they are concerned about health then perhaps they should also stop selling cakes or high calorie drinks to overweight children because obesity is a far more serious health issue in this country than caffeine consumption."
A spokesperson for Costa told Metro: "We do not encourage the sale of caffeine to children under 16, and it is at store discretion to question a customer's age if they have any concerns.
"Our advertising is not directed at children, and you must be 16 or above to own a Costa Club Card.
"Caffeine information is available upon request should a customer wish to know the level of caffeine in their favourite Costa coffee."